Decision details

Cabinet is asked to consider proposals to take the Ranscombe Farm project forward.

The Cabinet granted delegated authority to the Director of Finance and Corporate Services, in consultation with the Director of Development and Environment, on the best terms reasonably obtainable to:
a) Grant a 25-year Head Lease to Plantlife International of 185ha of Ranscombe Farm.
b) Execute the sale of 44ha of land at Ranscombe Farm to Plantlife International.
c) Take a lease back of the 44ha site and sublet it back to Plantlife.
d) To ring fence the capital receipt (£225,000) received from the sale for re-investment into the Ranscombe Farm Country Park project.

These decisions are made in support of the Council's policy to develop Ranscombe Farm as a new Country Park, as agreed in the Local Plan policy L9 and in the Community Plan (2004). They rationalise and formalise arrangements for the on-going management of the park and also secure the remainder of the Ranscombe Farm implementation budget from the ODPM.